


Caught

by Lanerose



Series: IJ Ironman Ficathon [35]
Category: Mai-HiME
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-07
Updated: 2007-10-07
Packaged: 2018-07-18 15:23:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7320727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanerose/pseuds/Lanerose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuuichi is there for Mai when she falls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught

**"I see your outstretched hand through the closing door, but it's a far better thing I do than I have ever done before."**  
  
Later, Tate would never be sure what half-formed impulse caused him to move closer to her even as she said such horrible things. That Mikoto killed her brother. That she killed Mikoto, and Alyssa. That she never wanted to see him, ever again. She said it coldly. Her eyes looked away from his. Her eyes were too bright, too too bright.  
  
"I've said it before, but this will be the last time." She edged away from him. "Goodbye."  
  
And then she was falling.  
  
"MAI!" He grabbed her hand, pulling her back, pulling her to him. Together they fell back onto the bridge, her head against his chest. His heart beat wildly as his right arm wrapped around her, trapping her to him.  
  
"NO! No, let me go! LET ME GO!" Her free hand beat against his chest. She writhed and twisted in his grasp. Tate released her wrist so that he could hold her against him tighter still. "You don't understand! Let me go! Please, Tate, please just let me go! Let me –"  
  
"I can't do that." He whispered in her ear. "Not before I tell you. Not for you to do something like that."  
  
"Please, Tate." The glassiness in her eyes gave way to tears, her breath fast and shuddering as her voice fell to a whisper and she stopped struggling. "Please."  
  
"I can't," he said, and before he could even think not to, the words were out of his mouth. "I love you."  
  
Mai inhaled sharply, and held still in his embrace for a moment.  
  
Then she was crying again, crying as though the world had ended, and maybe it had because Tate just didn't know any more, and Mikoto and Takumi were dead and hundreds of things were wrong –  
  
But she lay in his arms, weeping, and slowly…   
  
Slowly, she hugged him back.


End file.
